Flying Too Close to the Sun
by PurpleHope
Summary: How will Shikamaru deal with Temari's sudden disappearance? And how will the Sand react to the kidnap of the Kazekage's sister? ShikaTema fic, rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1 Ramen and a Revelation

Shikamaru Nara leant back on the conveniently-placed patch of grass on the hillside, feeling at peace with the world. He had no missions for the time being, and no inclination to do anything but lie about and watch the clouds go by. Sure, maybe it wasn't expected ninja behaviour, especially not for a jounin, but whatever. He was happy.

Basking in the gentle sun of a fading afternoon, he half-closed his eyes, and allowed his mind to wander. He had been so busy recently, he hadn't had any time to relax, and not have to think about missions, or weapons, or how to kill someone as efficiently as possible. Despite appearances, he worked hard for his village, and Shikamaru wasn't used to working hard at the best of times. He sometimes wondered if he would lose his mind if he wasn't allowed these rare moments of peace.

Memories began to flow across his consciousness with a pleasant fuzziness as he let go of the present; memories not overshadowed by fear or anger. He smiled without realizing as he remembered one person in particular...

"_You really aren't a morning person, are you?" Temari asked teasingly, noting his untidy ponytail and dazed expression. Shikamaru groaned and ran a hand over his face, contemplating suicide for a few moments before disregarding it as too much of an effort. It was less than a week since the Hokage had asked him to escort the visitor from the Sand around Konoha, and already he was exhausted just trying to keep up with her._

_Every morning she would knock on his door at dawn, and insist that he get up, so she could get on with her day. Resistance was futile, and potentially dangerous if attempted for too long. So he would stumble out of bed and greet her, half-asleep and dishevelled. He always found it strangely difficult to argue with the impetuous blonde, and more often than not found himself following her around the village, instead of the other way around._

"_I don't know why you even bother to wake me up every morning. We both know that you are perfectly capable of looking after yourself," Shikamaru mumbled, yawning._

_She grinned back at him. "Maybe I just enjoy the pleasure of your company," Shikamaru's look of disbelief made her laugh._

"_Ok, you're right, I just enjoy seeing how much pain I can inflict on you and still get away with it," Temari told him, striding off purposefully in the direction of the training grounds. _

_Shikamaru chuckled, shaking his head, and followed her at a much slower pace. He was in no hurry. The longer it took him to arrive, the less time she would have to beat him up before breakfast._

Shikamaru's smile faded as he realized where this train of thought was going. He hadn't known then that she would be returning to the Sand early the next morning.

"Shikamaru"

Not that he missed her – of course not, his life was easier without her around. And he was pretty certain that Temari didn't miss him.

"Shikamaru"

She hadn't even bothered to say goodbye.

"SHIKAMARU"

"What?!" he yelled, startled out of his reverie. Coming towards him at an alarming rate was an orange-clad blur. It could only be Naruto. Shikamaru regretfully let go of all hope of a peaceful afternoon, and stood up, gradually, to greet his friend.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Surely Naruto wouldn't have disturbed him unless there was an emergency. "This had better be important."

"Well, I think it's important," Naruto told him sincerely. Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. He couldn't have come all the way up here just to ask that. He just couldn't. Could he?

"....Want some ramen?"

Yeah. He could.

"There is no way in hell that you are dragging me away from the first nap I've had in months," Shikamaru told his friend firmly. Technically, he hadn't been napping, but Naruto didn't have to know that.

"But! But but but but but! I'm hungry!"

"Naruto. The answer is no. Accept it and move on." No amount of pleading would change his mind. Ever.

Ten minutes later they were both sitting in Ichiraku.

Shikamaru sighed. Somehow, he had been dragged away from his thoughts and his beloved clouds by the most annoying person in Konoha. He watched with disgusted fascination as Naruto shoved the ramen into his mouth faster than he would have believed humanly possible.

"So, Shikamaru-"Naruto started to say, but became distracted again by the bowl in front of him. Shikamaru examined the unusually large chunk of pork Naruto was stuffing into his already full mouth. He waited patiently as his friend choked.

"-have you heard the news?" Naruto finally managed to ask, having swallowed the traitorous ramen that had just tried to kill him.

"No," Shikamaru replied, unsure what he was talking about. The anxious look in his friend's eyes told him that this might actually be important, and not in a food-related way.

Naruto put down his chopsticks, and that was when Shikamaru started to get really worried. What was so important that it came between Naruto and his ramen?

"I only just found out myself - the Hokage told me. Well, she didn't tell me exactly.... I sort of accidentally overheard her discussing it with the Pervy Sa-" The glare he received as a reward for his babbling told him to just get on with it.

"I just thought you should know if you didn't already. I mean, I know you guys are sort of friends. Or at least you used to be-"

Shikamaru felt his breath catch in his chest, and a cold trickle of fear ran down his spine. This sounded bad. And if he didn't already know about this, then that meant it probably wasn't happening to anyone he knew from the village.

But if they weren't from the village, then-

_No. It can't be._

"I'm sorry, Shikamaru...."

_I must be wrong. It's someone else, _he told himself, desperately trying to convince himself. For a moment, he almost believed it.

"....it's Temari. She's missing."

But then, he was almost never wrong.


	2. Chapter 2 Journey to the Log and Beyond

Chapter 2 

"Don't worry too much, Tsunade. I'm sure we'll figure out what to do," Jiraiya said soothingly, trying to reassure the Hokage.

"Well, we'd better, before it's too late." Sighing, Tsunade rubbed her temples, trying in vain to get rid of the headache that had been building there since the messenger bird had arrived from the Sand early that morning. "I don't want to lose our alliance with the Sand, especially not over something like this."

"I wonder if Gaara will listen if we explain to him that we aren't responsible for his sister's disappearance." Jiraiya mused as he opened the hidden drawer in Tsunade's desk that he knew contained the sake and offered it to her. He knew without asking that she needed it.

The Hokage took a big gulp of the sake, not bothering to pour it into a cup. "He might. It can't hurt to try: if we don't do something, we'll be at war with the Sand before long." She grimaced. "And it's not even our fault this time."

Jiraiya smiled tiredly at the Hokage, and opened his mouth to say something. But Tsunade never found out what he was going to say, because he was interrupted by Shikamaru entering the room. He was pale, and the Hokage knew him well enough to guess that he had heard about Temari.

"I didn't know until this morning," she told him before he could ask. "I assumed, as you did, that Temari had returned to the Sand without telling anyone."

Shikamaru took a deep breath. A detached part of his mind asked him why he cared so much about this troublesome girl.

He couldn't answer. He didn't know.

"How has the Sand reacted?" he asked, trying to regain his usual composure. His feelings would have to wait until later, when he had more time to try and understand, or at least explain them. Right now he had to think clearly. It was the only way he could help Temari.

"Not well," the Hokage told him grimly. "We're going to have to act fast if we want to avoid a war."

"And how are you planning to act?" Something in Shikamaru's expression told her that he was going to be included in this particular mission, whether she liked it or not.

"Our best hope is to explain to Gaara that we had nothing to do with Temari's....disappearance." She saw what could have been a flicker of pain cross his face when she hesitated. He knew that she had been avoiding the word 'death'. "I'm going to send the ninja with the best relations with the Sand there as quickly as possible, in the hope that they will be able to convince him." She paused.

"Originally I was going to send just Naruto and Sakura....but I don't see why you shouldn't accompany them. As long as you return to Konoha immediately if your mission fails," she told him sternly, ignoring the silent protest in his eyes. "You are not allowed to go off looking for Temari."

Shikamaru opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted, just as Jiraiya was a few moments ago, by Naruto.

"Great. More visitors," muttered Tsunade to Jiraiya, who shrugged.

"Why did you run off so fast?" the intruder complained to Shikamaru. "I know you're upset, but you could at least have waited for me."

"Naruto!" Tsunade yelled, and he jumped, before standing up very straight and saluting. "First of all, don't come running into my office without permission."

"Yes sir! I mean.... yes ma'am!"

"Secondly, go and collect Sakura. You've got a mission." She told him, before turning away to talk to Jiraiya. It was Shikamaru who answered Naruto's questioning glance, his voice blank of emotion.

"We're going to the Sand."

Half an hour later, Naruto, Sakura and Shikamaru were standing at the main gate. All three were wearing their ninja gear, and expressions of varying severity.

"Are you ready?" asked Shikamaru. As the only jounin, he was assuming the role of team leader. The others nodded, and they set off, running towards the trees that would form a path to the Hidden Sand village. Normally the journey would take about 3 days_. _

_We can't afford to waste that much time_, Shikamaru thought to himself. To reach their destination as quickly as possible, they would have to move faster than they usually did, and take fewer breaks. The lazy ninja scowled, leaping up onto the closest branch, closely followed by his team. _This is going to be exhausting_.

As usual, he was right. By the time the sun fell below the horizon, even Naruto, with his seemingly-unending supply of energy, was starting to slow down. They had covered much more distance than they would normally have managed in a few hours, but none of them were used to moving that fast for so long.

"Shouldn't we stop and make camp for the night?" Sakura called from a nearby tree. Shikamaru looked up at the darkening sky, and for a second Temari's face flashed across his vision, smiling at him in the slightly teasing way she always did. He sighed. Every minute they were delayed reduced their chances of finding her, and he was reluctant to stop.

However, he knew that the dark would make their tree-top route more dangerous, and they needed to rest. He dropped down to a lower branch, signalling for his teammates to follow him, before landing noiselessly on the forest floor.

"Naruto, start collecting firewood," Shikamaru ordered, pointing to a large pile of dried-up logs a few feet away. Looking around, he decided that the small clearing nearby would do for a camp.

"Not all at once, you idiot!" Sakura hissed at her friend, who had balanced the entire load precariously in his arms. Shikamaru closed his eyes in exasperation as he heard the wood, closely followed by Naruto, tumble to the ground.

"Sakura, please help him..."

"I...don't....need....help..." Naruto crawled out from under the logs. "I can't let... the log.... defeat me!"

Shikamaru's eye twitched. _Temari, you owe me_. He wandered over to their campsite, leaving Naruto to his epic struggle. Surely it could only take so long...

By the time he had cleared all the debris off the ground and built a fire pit, his friend was still battling with the wood. And he appeared to be losing. Sakura had given up on trying to help, and was just watching, half-annoyed, half-amused. Shikamaru's scowl deepened. He was cold now, and hungry. This had gone on long enough.

Sighing in irritation, Shikamaru strolled over to Naruto and the logs smothering him, picked up a few from the top of the pile, and threw them into the fire pit. Pulling out the lighter from his jacket pocket, he lit the kindling he had laid at the base, and soon had a blazing fire going.

"There. That wasn't so hard, was it..." He grumbled in Naruto's direction, whose head had emerged from underneath the pile to see what was going on.

"Wow, Shikamaru.... you defeated the log!" Naruto said, staring at him in awe.

"Get a grip, Naruto, it's an inanimate object." Shikamaru rolled his eyes, and started to heat up the food he had brought with him. Soon the scent of ramen drifted across the clearing. Naruto sniffed it hungrily, and decided that he could postpone his battle against the forces of log-shaped evil. He wriggled out from underneath his mortal enemy, muttering as he went. "This isn't over."

When all three had eaten, Sakura offered to take the first watch, ignoring Shikamaru's protestations.

"I know you're worried, but we need you to be alert tomorrow," she told him firmly. She reminded him of Tsunade: she gave off the same 'do what I say or you'll regret it' vibe. "And Naruto can take the second half of the watch. He's got too much energy anyway." They both watched as their friend chased a squirrel around a tree, giggling excitedly.

"Fine." Shikamaru was too exhausted to argue anymore. He lay back next to the fire, wincing at his sore muscles. It seemed ages since his nap on the hillside, when he was still blissfully unaware of Temari's disappearance. He looked up at the sky, trying to clear his mind so that he could sleep. The stars winked down at him, bright pinpricks of light in an otherwise black sky.

Just as his eyes were drifting shut, a light breeze ruffled his hair, bringing Temari with it. _I will find you_, he told the girl in his memory. _I don't know how, but I promise._

_I will find you._


	3. Chapter 3 The Eyes of the Sand

_Masked faces, huddled around an object crumpled on the floor. _

_Not an object. _

_A person. _

_A person in pain, struggling._

_Blue eyes, opening eyes. Broken eyes._

_Eyes known, and unknowing._

_Unbelievable, impossible pain._

_Fading. Failing. Falling._

Shikamaru shot upwards, a strangled cry stifled on his lips. Where was he? What was happening? He had to-

He blinked at his surroundings, taking them in with difficulty.

Trees. A burned-out fire. Concerned faces.

Making the connections, he realized that it had only been a dream, that it couldn't have been real. No matter how terrifying the image imprinted on his mind was, it wasn't real. Sakura stared at him from a few feet away, eyes wide.

"...Shikamaru?" Naruto was at his watch post on a high branch. The fear in his voice made him sound much younger than he actually was.

He was worrying them. He tried to slow his breathing, relax his tensed muscles. Not that it helped much. He was still drenched in sweat; his heart was still beating abnormally fast. He still felt like a tightly stretched wire, being slowly pulled apart.

Great. Groaning inwardly, Shikamaru turned to face his team.

"It's nothing. It was just... a bad dream." He attempted a reassuring smile, but it turned out more like a grimace. He decided it was the best he could do for now, despite the fact that his friends looked less than convinced, so he reverted to his original expression of barely concealed panic.

"Let's get going, now that we're all awake. I want to reach the Sand before nightfall." Turning away, he started to organize his equipment, pretending not to notice their exchange of meaningful glances, and feeling grateful when they shrugged and started on their own jobs.

They worked silently and efficiently, and by the time the forest was awake they were ready to set off towards the sun-streaked blur of dust in the distance that was the Sand.

* * *

* * *

Gaara rubbed his temples despairingly, trying and failing to focus his mind on the seemingly-unending list of problems that had collected on his desk, staring at him accusingly from their teetering paper mountain ranges. The constant ticking of the clock was driving its way through his skull, enhancing his work-induced headache, and serving as a constant reminder that his time was limited.

_Tick. Tock.  
_

_Tick. Tock.  
_

_Tick. To-  
_

The crash resounded through the office, causing the man in the corner to glance up. Kankuro peered at the shattered remains of what was once a clock, and was now just a forlorn testament to Gaara's temper, surrounded by grains of sand. He raised his eyebrows.

"Bad day?" he asked the Kazekage, trying to conceal a smirk, and receiving a furious scowl.

"Yes Kankuro, as a matter of fact, this is a bad day, one of many in an un-ending line of bad days." Sand swirled menacingly around the office as Gaara tried not to use it to kill his brother.

"And I don't see why you're so happy. Temari is your sister too."

Kankuro's grin faded, and was replaced by a scowl to rival Gaara's.

"There's nothing I can do about that right now, you know I'm just waiting for the latest reports from the search team."

"Just because you're waiting doesn't mean you have to wait near me…"

"But I like waiting near you, something interesting always seems to happen."

"OH, GO AND PLAY WITH YOUR DOLLS, YOU ANNOYING LITTLE CREATURE."

"They're PUPPETS. Big, powerful, TERRIFYING puppets. And I'm bigger than you."

"AARGH! I'M GOING TO-"

The Kazekage and Kankuro fell silent as one of the guards came into the office.

"S-sir, I- I'm s-s-orry to inter-r-rupt, but the L-Leaf ni-i-inja have ar-rived..." The guard started shivering in fear as Gaara turned to look at him.

The Kazekage sighed deeply, shooting one last glare at his brother.

"Send them in then...please." The guard nodded jerkily, before turning on his heels and practically running for the door.

"I need new guards. Ones that don't scare so easily..." Gaara muttered to himself as he brushed some of the sand off his desk.

By the time the Leaf ninja had appeared in his doorway, the Kazekage's expression was impassive again, and no sign of his undignified argument remained.

Apart from Kankuro, who was making faces at him from the corner. _Ignore him_.

Gaara half-smiled at Naruto, the first one into his office, and received a huge grin in return.

He wished he had more time to talk to his friend, but there would be no opportunity for that, not now. Next came Sakura, followed by Shikamaru, who looked as pale and tense as Gaara felt.

"Welcome to the Sand."

I appreciate your haste on such a long journey. I want to sort this out as quickly as possible. I don't wish to start a war any more than you do." The three nodded.

"First and foremost, we need to establish whether or not the Hidden Leaf village had anything to do with my sister's disappearance."

"I don't personally believe that it was any kind of order from the Hokage, nor do I think that it was an act of sabotage from any rogue Leaf ninja." He sighed deeply.

"However, the Council does not share my faith." Naruto and Sakura looked at each other anxiously. Shikamaru's face remained blank.

Gaara met his eyes, and saw the cold understanding at their black centres. Shikamaru had known about this somehow, it wasn't news to him. He wouldn't be surprised if the tactical genius had already worked out exactly what was going to happen, and planned ahead, down to the tiniest detail.

"For now, all that I can do is to give you all rooms in the village, as well as guards to escort you until I can bring the Council together for a meeting." Gaara stated quietly, never taking his eyes off Shikamaru. From what he had heard, he was the most likely to object to any sort of delay.

_And he's the biggest threat_, Gaara thought to himself.

But fortunately, the only resistance he met was a distracted nod.

"The guards won't be necessary, sir." Sakura pointed out, trying her best to sound reasonable and not offend the Kazekage.

"I'm afraid that the escort is compulsory, for your own safety as much as for ours." Kankuro stood up, and strode towards the desk at the centre of the room. Naruto and Sakura jumped slightly; they hadn't noticed the black-cloaked man in the corner.

Shikamaru, Gaara noted, did not react.

"You may go anywhere you wish while you wait, within reason, but you must always be accompanied by the guards," Kankuro continued, his expression serious for once. "Violation of these conditions will result in your immediate return to your own village."

"Just how long are we going to be waiting for this meeting?" Naruto asked, frowning slightly.

Gaara and Kankuro exchanged glances.

"The Council are not always....open to foreigners," the Kazekage told them, hesitating slightly. "They don't see your involvement as necessary...and they're making the discussions much more difficult than they have to be." He scowled at the desk.

"Of course I will do everything in my power to-"

Gaara was interrupted by a knock at his office door.

"Enter."

Six masked ninja stood in the doorway, standing rigidly to attention. One stepped forwards smartly and addressed his Kazekage.

"The guards for the Leaf visitors, sir, reporting for duty."

"Alright then, you know where to escort them." The Kazekage nodded to the leader of the squad, and turned to Shikamaru, Sakura and Naruto.

"I shall send word as soon as the arrangements have been made," Gaara told them, looking almost apologetic. "In the meantime, please try to enjoy what the Sand has to offer." He smiled wryly. "Although I had hoped  
that you would be visiting under less severe circumstances...."

"Thank you, Kazekage," Sakura nodded respectfully, and all three followed their escort out of the office.

Kankuro closed the door behind them, frowning beneath his make-up. Gaara sighed deeply again, turning to look out of the window at the village, surrounded by endless seas of sand.

His brother came to stand beside him, and wordlessly they stared into the distance, searching for what they could not see.


	4. Chapter 4 The Tight Grip of Reality

**A/N Hey guys. I'm so sorry I left the story hanging for so long. *sob***

**Stuff just got in the way. And it didn't help that I got writers' block, whilst simultaneously Kishimoto seems to be doing strange things to the real Naruto manga…. Things that make me not want to read it so much anymore. *mutter mutter***

**But I know, I know, it's no excuse. You have my permission to pelt me with… well, whatever will transport itself through your computer screens. O.o**

**So, sadly, this fic almost got abandoned. But luckily it didn't. I send multiple cyber cookies to everyone who reviewed – thank you! You really helped me start writing again, and I hope you didn't get so bored of waiting that you won't want to review the new chapters….**

**Anyway, I think this fic is back on track now, and hopefully I won't be as useless about posting the next chapter. Hopefully.**

**Enough of this. On with the story!**

_She raced through the caves, ducking and weaving to avoid the jagged edges of the walls that closed in, dragging at her clothes, trying to hold her back._

_Glancing behind to see if her pursuers were any closer, she sped up, reaching desperately for the distant spot of light at the end of the tunnel that was her freedom._

_But something was wrong. However fast she ran, the pathway just seemed to get longer and longer, and the exit stretched further and further away._

_He stood helplessly on the sidelines, unable to move. Unable to call out her name. _

_All he could do was watch as the hunters caught their prize. He knew she couldn't hear his screams. He could hear hers all too well. _

_This was the end. He knew that._

_But he still tried to tell her. He still couldn't help but hope that she could escape._

_RUN._

_But there was no point now. It was too late._

_He was too late._

Shikamaru jumped to his feet, his eyes frantic, his muscles tensed in preparation for a fight.

It took him a few seconds to realise that he wasn't in the dark cavern he had just seen so vividly, but in the guest rooms that the Council had allocated to him.

Falling back on his mattress, Shikamaru scowled at the ceiling. These damn dreams. He hadn't slept properly since they'd hit the road, and he of all people was reliant on a good night's rest. And a good day's rest, for that matter…

His heart still beating irrationally fast, Shikamaru dragged himself off the bed, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Out of habit, he quickly catalogued the peeling paint on the walls, the scuff marks on the floor and the faded stains on the mattress. The only furniture in the room apart from his bed was a desk in the corner, and the fragile-looking chair tucked under it.

Shikamaru raised his eyebrows in sardonic amusement. Not exactly glamorous.

He staggered to the window, and peered past the thin curtains that had shielded his eyes from the powerful morning sunlight of the desert, scanning the bustling streets below. The people of the Sand were already up and busy despite the early hour. Stall-holders were selling, families were wandering the marketplace… and the ever-present soldiers were watching. Shikamaru frowned slightly. If Gaara had resorted to stationing this many guards in the streets where everyone would notice them, then he must have abandoned any hope of pretending that all was well in the Sand.

_It wouldn't take much to push these people into a panic,_ he thought to himself, noting the wary glances and tightly clenched fists of Gaara's citizens. _I just hope we find Temari before it's too late._

He ignored the part of his mind with the images of his dream stuck firmly on replay that told him that it may already be too late.

_Shikamaru, you won't help anyone by acting like this_, he told himself firmly. Temari's face flashed across his vision and was gone. They may be being forced to wait until their meeting, but he could at least be productive while he waited…

An enthusiastic knock on the door broke through his thoughts and alerted him to Naruto's arrival.

"Shikamaru, come on, get up! I wanna go and see the city!" his friend whined.

He sighed. Why did Naruto always seem to be insisting that everyone was conscious? If they weren't such good friends he would probably have slipped him a sedative by now…

"Get on with it, there are stalls out there! With food!" Naruto rubbed his hands together in anticipation, then ducked to avoid Sakura's punch to the head.

Sighing, Shikamaru stuffed his feet into his shoes and grabbed his jacket before Naruto could invade his room. He acknowledged Sakura's exasperated glance with a small grin, and the three headed out of the building to see what the Sand had to offer.

* * *

"Ahem. Hokage."

"Yes…"

"You aren't busy, are you?"

"Yes…"

"Oh. Um, well anyway, could I have a quick word?"

"Yes…"

"It's about the recent mission to the Sand."

"Yes…"

"Are you going to say anything other than yes?"

"Yes…"

"Are you going to say anything other than yes… anytime soon?"

Silence.

Tsunade swivelled in her chair to face the man hanging upside down from the roof outside her office window, and smiled dangerously. The man gulped.

"Kakashi, do you have a problem with the team I sent to work with Gaara?"

"Well, it's not the team itself that worries me." Kakashi steeled himself mentally to face the Hokage. This was important, and she wouldn't kill him just for asking about the mission.

He thought. Probably.

"I know they're three of the best young ninja we have, and I would trust each of them with my life." Tsunade nodded slightly in agreement, and he took this as permission to continue.

"It's just that…. I heard that Gaara's sister has gone missing. Under suspicious circumstances." When she didn't deny it, Kakashi knew that the rumours had been correct.

"And I assume that therefore the Sand is furious and looking for someone to blame…"

Tsunade sighed. She was getting tired of worrying about the unstable relations between the two villages.

"You sent those three to avoid a war." He wasn't really asking.

"What's your point?"

"As talented as they all are, do you really think they can convince every powerful man and woman in Suna that we had nothing to do with this disappearance?" His voice rose uncharacteristically as some of his anxiety slipped past his usually calm exterior. "That there is no need to attack and hurt hundreds of people from both of our villages?"

The Hokage didn't reply immediately. It was difficult to think of a convincing reply to all the questions that were plaguing her constantly, and had been since Shikamaru and his team had left.

More quietly, Kakashi asked her a final question.

"What if they fail?"

Tsunade looked at him. Not as his superior, but as someone who has run out of reassurances.

"…I don't know."


	5. Chapter 5 Behind Closed Doors

**Well. This story has been on hiatus for about...a year, maybe? I'm not going to make excuses as to why I left it hanging for so long... stuff happens, I'm sure you all know that. Those of you who have read this fic, my apologies, especially to those of you who reviewed (told me not to leave it too long until I updated again of course _) and my sincere thanks to anyone who chooses to read these later chapters. Not sure how much my writing style will have changed, but I'll try to keep it fairly consistent. And without further ado, I give you chapter 5 of Flying Too Close to the Sun. Enjoy :)**

"Mmm, this is delicious!"

"Naruto, how many of those have you eaten already today? Slow down or you'll make yourself sick!"

"If I don't eat as many of these as I can right now I will regret it for the rest of my life. Do you want that on your conscience, Sakura? My eternal and debilitating misery?

Do you? DO YOU?"

"Oh, you're just impossible, you never listen to me..."

Shikamaru did his best to drown out his companions' bickering as they wandered amongst the market stalls of the Sand, sampling the merchandise and waiting for an order from those in charge of the Sand.

He grimaced. He did not like wasting time, time he could be using to chase after Temari, but he did understand that the Kazekage was doing his best, and that he would be feeling just as frustrated as he himself was about the whole mess. It didn't make him feel much better, of course, but at least it was enough to stop him charging off on his own to start the search ...for now.

In fact, Gaara has much more reason to be upset about his sister's disappearance, he reminded himself.

He still hadn't figured out why he felt quite so determined to find Temari, but, as he usually did when he found a question he could not (or did not) want to answer, he was dismissing it for now. He could worry about his feelings afterwards, when he'd found her.

_If I find her..._

_Shut up._

_It's been almost a week now, and there's been no word..._

"Shut UP!"

The abrupt silence told him that he'd yelled that last thought out loud.

"I just...I can't stand you two arguing all the time," Shikamaru trailed off lamely, having decided that it would be better for his friends to think that he was irritated by their troublesome chattering than if they thought he was yelling at the voices in his head.

_I still have my sanity...and they don't need to know how close I am to losing it._

He almost regretted not explaining himself as Naruto and Sakura looked at him with a mixture of hurt, confusion and concern.

"I'm...I'm sorry Shika," said Naruto in an uncharacteristically sober tone. "We'll try not to fight so much...we know how upset you are." The pink-haired ninja beside him nodded in agreement.

"I'm not upset," Shikamaru retorted automatically. The sympathetic, understanding expressions on their faces showed him just how unconvincing this statement was. They also made him want to punch a wall.

He was just wondering whether or not to go back to his allocated room when he noticed a robed Guard of the Sand emerge from a narrow alleyway in his peripheral vision and begin to approach their group. When the guard was close enough to be heard over the noise and bustle of the marketplace, she addressed them.

"You are the visiting Leaf ninja?"

The three nodded.

"Then come with me. The Council have sent for you."

The cloaked woman working her way through the city, threading nimbly between people, carts and stalls alike. Shikamaru could feel how much the impatient Naruto wanted to ask how much further they would have to go - and was feeling so on edge that he was just about to ask the question himself - as they rounded a corner and the Council's stronghold burst into view.

The Sand ninja led them in through the front door and into the hall. The air was suddenly much cooler, but the the three ninja felt no relief as they bristled in response to the hostile eyes that fell upon them as soon as they walked in.

"These are the Leaf ninja that the Council sent for." Their guide's muttered explanation seemed to satisfy the suspicious guards in the main entrance enough to convince them not to attack, and so the guests were allowed to pass. They were led to a small corridor, at the end of which was a heavy-looking door that gave off an aura of power.

"You will wait here," commanded the Sand ninja who had summoned them, gruffly. Sakura thanked her distractedly, and then their guard left instantly, leaving Shikamaru, Naruto and Sakura in the corridor. They were alone but for the two stone-faced men standing on either side of the doorway that Shikamaru knew instinctively hid the Council from view.

"Well...I suppose we should wait here," said Naruto. His joking tone sounded forced. All three ninja were incredibly aware of the hostile atmosphere in the building, and it made them uneasy. Shikamaru saw Sakura's fists clench, and felt the muscle in his jaw jump as he scanned the corridor. Adrenalin rushed into his veins and he felt his body tighten as if her were about to go into a fight.

He didn't like it here. He didn't feel safe. He wanted to bolt for the exit, escape this dusty building with the cloaked guards and the mysterious air of the Council emanating ominously from behind that huge door, run away and keep running. They had the element of surprise, it would be easy. But...

_You're here for her_.

And so Shikamaru stayed. He stifled his ninja senses, even though every single one was telling him to get out of there while he still could. He tried to appear calm as he leant his back against the wall, half-closing his eyes and sighing. Exchanging glances, Naruto and Sakura followed his lead, although he knew they felt just as uneasy as he did.

He managed to smile at them, and they smiled back weakly. Good. Anyone who didn't know them might even think they were comfortable in these surroundings. And he wanted that. He wanted to appear confident and in control - it could only help his negotiations with the Council. Shikamaru glanced towards the door, but it remained tightly closed, the guards immobile and expressionless.

_For Temari's sake, I hope this goes well_ , he thought to himself.

And then everything went black.

* * *

_Shikamaru.._.

Urgh.

_Shikamaru..._

Naruto must have sneaked into his room, and was waking him up from his nap again.

_Shikamaru, help me!_

But if it was Naruto, then why did the voice sound so sad, so desperate?

He frowned in his sleep.

_Please..._

And why did it sound like a woman?

...A woman he knew?

The young ninja jerked into consciousness and immediately tried to stand, but gentle hands pushed him back down.

"Shikamaru, it isn't a good idea for you to stand up right now." Blearily he registered Sakura leaning over him, looking at him sternly. Looking around, he realised that he wasn't in his bed at all, but was in fact lying on a cold stone floor.

"What...what happened?" he asked, confused. The last thing he remembered was sitting in that musky corridor, waiting for the meeting with the Council...

And then that voice...

"You passed out," the medical ninja told him, the worry she was trying to conceal still ever so slightly present in her face. "Not for long," she hurried to reassure him, noticing his alarmed expression, "and I suspect it was stress-induced, but you should probably go and rest. Let Naruto and me deal with the-"

But Shikamaru had already pushed her aside and strode off purposefully towards the imposing door at the end of the corridor. It had just creaked open, seemingly by itself.

As he stepped into the room, blinking as he adjusted to the sudden darkness, he told himself that what he had just heard was a figment of his imagination. A mild hallucination that was just a part of his 'stress-induced' collapse, as Sakura had called it. _Focus on this meeting with the Council, _his brain told him firmly. _What you just heard - thought you heard - doesn't mean anything._

He was almost successful in convincing himself that he was wrong.

But at the same time, every other part of his being was screaming that he had just heard Temari's voice calling to him.


	6. Chapter 6 Decisions, Decisions

**It seems that writing the entire chapter at 2am works for me. *shrugs* Well, if it means I can update more often, then fine, I have no problem with that...sleep is overrated anyway. Here you go, munchkins - chapter 6.**

"Shikamaru, wait."

He didn't pause, didn't slow down, didn't look back. He just kept heading for the door.

"Shikamaru, please, where are you going?"

The door drew closer, and he could hear people outside chattering as they strolled past, blissfully unaware of the torment burning through his veins.

"Shikamaru!"

Not trusting himself to reply, he broke into a run as he burst out of the building and into the stiflingly hot streets of the city. He had to get out of there before he did something he knew he would regret.

Putting on a burst of speed, Shikamaru shot away from the headquarters of the Council, the cries of his friends fading away as he sprinted around a corner, down an alleyway and out of sight.

* * *

_CRASH._

The door of the Kazekage's office banged open and ricocheted off the wall with such force that a huge crack formed in the stone. The whole room shook with the impact, and Gaara looked up from his desk, his face impassive as always, but for his slightly raised eyebrows. His brother's reaction, however, was less restrained.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked incredulously as Sakura, Tsunade's protégé, stepped through the doorway.

The look she shot him was pure fire.

Kankuro wilted, shrinking away from her as if scalded, reaslising that maybe it was not the best idea to confront Sakura when she was in this mood.

"Sakura." Naruto's voice came from behind her, sounding weary and angry and much older than usual. "You shouldn't have done that."

Sakura shot him the same look she had shot Kankuro, but for some reason it didn't faze him. Perhaps he had been on the receiving end of it so many times that he was immune to it by now, or perhaps it was because she knew that he was right. Instead he came over and stood next to her, reaching down and gripping her wrist firmly. She looked down at his hand, clearly surprised and ready to throw him out of the window. She opened her mouth, but then, as she met his eyes, something in her collapsed. She took a deep breath and let it out, and as she did so she seemed to diminish in size a little.

"My apologies, Kazekage." She bowed her head jerkily in his direction, and he acknowledged her graciously by bowing his head in return. Naruto gave Sakura's arm a slight squeeze, and then shifted to face Gaara fully.

Naruto's serious expression was so out of character that it was all the convincing Gaara needed that something had gone badly, horribly wrong.

"We've had some bad news," he said abruptly, He was trying to be polite, but the look in his eyes was cold, hard ice. The muscle in his jaw twitched, and it was obvious that he had himself under control only slightly more than Sakura at that moment.

"I take it your meeting with the Council did not go as successfully as I would have hoped."

"It did not. It seems the Council does not believe in our good intentions as fully as you do, Kazekage." His eyes, usually so open and friendly, were unreadable; his voice steady, cold. In stressful situations like this, Naruto always managed to find some self-control.

This was fortunate, given that his companion lost all her self-control so quickly and so completely.

"We feel it would be best for us to return to the Leaf immediately, to avoid making matters worse. We thank you for your hospitality." With a respectful bow, he turned and headed for the door, pulling Sakura with him. She pulled her arm out from under his fingers in defiance, but followed him nonetheless.

"Naruto." The ninja stopped walking so naturally that he must have known that Gaara would not be ready to let them leave just yet.

"Where is Shikamaru?"

The tension in the room was almost visible as Naruto let out a sigh and turned back around to face the desk. He had not wanted to answer this question.

"He...took the result of the meeting with the Council rather badly," the young man replied softly.

Sakura laughed humourlessly. Gaara could tell how much it was costing her not to start breaking things again.

"What, worse than you two have?" asked Kankuro jokingly from the corner. Naruto did not react; the young ninja, usually so volatile, appeared not to have heard the comment. Instead he continued to watch the Kazekage.

"He left."

"He left?" Gaara's eyebrows lifted a little higher.

"Yes. We don't know where he went."

"Maybe he got bored of playing diplomat and went home," Kankuro's suggestion was met with an actual growl as Sakura lunged for him, eyes blazing.

"_Sakura._" She paused, her fingertips inches away from the puppet master's throat. The way in which Naruto had uttered this one word left no room for argument.

She turned to face him. Fire met ice.

Ice won.

With difficulty, she turned away from Kankuro.

_What could have happened to break their control? _ Gaara wondered to himself, watching the pair struggle.

_And Shikamaru... _He did not know what had broken through the barriers of the most controlled ninja he had ever met, but he was not at all sure that he was comfortable being on the same side as the people who had managed to do it.

Kankuro, keeping an eye on Sakura in case she decided to attack him again, asked the Leaf ninja another question that they did not want to answer."What did the Council say that made Shikamaru go running off, then?"

"They...they said..." Now Naruto seemed to be struggling to get words out, his ability to take control finally faltering, Sakura took over. And what she said wiped any trace of a smile off Kankuro's face. It made Gaara's blood run cold.

"They accused him of kidnapping Temari."

* * *

Shikamaru lay back against the burning sand and stared unblinkingly up at the sky.

He wasn't exactly sure where he was. He had just run as far and as fast as he could until it began to get dark.

Until his fury was dulled enough by his exhaustion for him to be able to stop.

_So what now?_ asked a sardonic voice in his head that reminded him so much of Temari that he wanted to scream. _Do you feel better now that you've run away from your problems?_

_A little, _he thought to himself defensively.

_Feel ready to stop acting like a child?_

_No._

As if his own mind was trying to punish him for this reply, Temari's laughing face flashed before his eyes. This was swiftly followed by the one of the worst images that haunted his dreams – well, nightmares. Her lying motionless on the ground. Broken. Almost unrecognizable as the girl he-

A stifled groan broke through his lips, and he hid his face in his hands.. He couldn't take this for much longer. The strain was already beginning to show. He was alone, hallucinating, and talking to a voice in his head...he was pretty sure that was a bad sign.

_Well, it's not a good sign, _a voice chimed in, and Shikamaru was once again filled with the urge to punch something. An urge he was entirely unaccustomed to – violent outbursts simply weren't in his nature.

He pushed himself to his feet, more as an attempt to distract himself from his emotions than anything else. He was unaccustomed to those too. Emotions. He'd never really seen the point in them before, and had certainly never felt them so keenly that he was unable to keep them hidden inside. They had been optional, and he had scorned them as an unnecessary burden, drowning them out and burying them deep, pretending that they didn't exist.

_It's unsettling when the walls you've built up around you come crumbling down, as if they were made of nothing, _he thought to himself as he watched the sun begin to set over the desert. It would be dark soon.

And suddenly Shikamaru was tired. He was so, so tired. He couldn't think straight, and that never happened to him. All he wanted was to stop feeling, to stop hurting, to stop caring. When had he even started caring, anyway?

_When you met her, _said a quiet, truthful voice in his head. And the images swarmed again. Shikamaru flinched. They were so vivid. It was like he was really seeing her. And he wanted to see her. He wanted it more than he wanted to breathe.

_Then come and find me. _The voice that was her and yet wasn't her sounded mocking, almost cruel. _What's stopping you?_

_Everything. Everything and nothing._

_You're a coward, _came the whisper, and now Shikamaru couldn't tell which voice was speaking. There were so many now. He would fear for his sanity if he didn't have so much more to be afraid of...

The Sand, for one thing. They would be after him soon, now that he had, seething and blind to reason, run away from the Council.

The first act of the guilty.

Cursing himself for acting so unbelievably stupidly, Shikamaru resigned himself to the knowledge that he could not return to the Sand. Even if Gaara didn't believe the allegations of the Council – and Shikamaru could not rely on this, even if Gaara had shown the Leaf ninja support before - there would be little that the Kazekage could do to defend him now without damaging his own reputation and his power over the Sand nation.

Shikamaru tried to analyse his options. He was having difficulty separating himself from the situation enough to see things clearly. Normally this would be second nature to the tactical ninja, but he was shaken. Emotions messed with his judgement, and right now he was angry. He was angrier than he had ever been before in his life, and it was threatening to consume him.

The unfairness of it all washed over him. He had done nothing but worry about Temari's wellbeing since he had first heard of the kidnapping. He hadn't eaten, he had barely slept, and when he had slept, he had dreamt of her.

_And now he was a suspect?_

Even worse than the shock of being accused of kidnapping the woman he was trying to save was the realisation that now the Sand would be chasing him...and letting the real culprits get away. _Letting Temari get away._

Shikamaru realised that he was breathing hard, and that his fists were clenched. He took a deep breath to steady himself.

_Think, Shikamaru._

He knew what he should do. He should return to the Leaf as quickly as possible. Tsunade had ordered him to return if their mission failed, and it would be foolish to disobey her. That's what the others would be doing. He should follow them, and let the Sand deal with their own problems.

But he knew what he wanted to do.

Temari wasn't his responsibility, even if he had convinced himself that she was. He shouldn't care so much about what happened to a moody, impulsive, utterly confusing girl from the Sand. Why did he have to care? Her nation clearly didn't want his help. He should just leave. Make the right decision, and forget about Temari.

He knew what he wanted to do.

All his life, Shikamaru had made tactical decisions. He knew he could rely on his brain to make the logical choices, and lead him to the best course of action. His instincts, like his emotions, had never really had a part to play.

His brain was telling him what he should do. His brain was telling him to go home. But...But his instincts were telling him that going home would mean going insane. It would mean admitting to that voice in him that it was true.

That he was a coward.

Shikamaru watched the warmth leak out of the sky as the sun left him behind in the desert with countless grains of sand, and he made his decision.

He knew what he wanted to do.


End file.
